Self-deport and get $1,000: Trump admin's new offer to illegal immigrants

The programme, revealed by the US DHS, encourages migrants to register their intent through a newly rebranded app called CBP Home

The United States government has announced a new initiative offering $1,000 (around Rs 84,000) and travel assistance to immigrants who are in the country illegally if they choose to return home voluntarily.

 

The programme, revealed by the US Department of Homeland Security on May 5, 2025, encourages migrants to register their intent through a newly rebranded app called CBP Home. Officials said those who participate would be deprioritised for detention and removal by immigration enforcement.

 

“If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest,” said Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security. “DHS is now offering illegal aliens financial travel assistance and a stipend to return to their home country through the CBP Home App.”

 

 

Noem said the department had already funded a plane ticket for one migrant to return to Honduras from Chicago and more travel arrangements were under way.

 

Costs and expected savings

 

Officials said in a press release the scheme is expected to reduce deportation costs by around 70 per cent. At present, the average cost to arrest, detain and remove an undocumented immigrant stands at $17,121.

 

“This is the safest option for our law enforcement, aliens and is a 70 per cent savings for US taxpayers,” Noem added. “Download the CBP Home App today and self-deport.”

 

The Trump administration said that those making "meaningful strides" towards departure through the app would be treated as a lower priority for detention. Officials also suggested that participating in the voluntary return programme may help preserve a migrant’s eligibility to legally re-enter the US in the future.

 

The app CBP Home was previously known as CBP One under the Biden administration, when it was used to schedule appointments for migrants at ports of entry. The Trump administration has now retooled it into a platform focused on assisting voluntary returns.

 

Homeland Security said “thousands” of migrants had already used the app to initiate self-deportation processes.

 

However, immigration experts have raised concerns about the consequences of leaving the country without resolving legal proceedings. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, said migrants must be cautious.

 

“People's immigration status is not as simple as this makes it out to be,” Reichlin-Melnick told Associated Press. He warned that those already in removal proceedings risked getting a deportation order if they failed to appear in court, and that leaving the country could be treated as abandoning applications for asylum and other forms of relief.

 

Reichlin-Melnick also questioned whether Homeland Security had the necessary funding and legal authority for the $1,000 stipend. He suggested the administration’s move reflected an inability to meet its deportation promises through enforcement alone.

 

“They're not getting their numbers,” he said.

 

Trump’s focus on immigration

 

President Donald Trump made tough immigration enforcement a central issue during his election campaign and has continued the drive during the first months of his second term.

 

Speaking during an interview with Fox Noticias last month, Trump said, “We’re going to give them a stipend. We’re going to give them some money and a plane ticket, and then we’re going to work with them — if they’re good — if we want them back in, we’re going to work with them to get them back in as quickly as we can.”

 

Earlier, on April 28, 2025, White House border adviser Tom Homan warned undocumented migrants that they “cannot hide” from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

 

“If you're an illegal alien in the United States, this message is for you: You cannot hide from ICE. We're actively looking for you,” Homan told reporters at the White House.

 

Impact on Indian nationals

 

According to the Pew Research Center, around 725,000 undocumented Indians were living in the US in 2022, the third-largest group after Mexicans and Salvadorans. The Migration Policy Institute provided a lower estimate of 375,000, ranking India fifth.

 

So far in 2025, over 600 Indians have already been deported, according to official figures.